Isolation can be mended
by Nene2
Summary: Rei's fear is rejection of others. She feels isolated from everyone, can Shinji heal this fear that consumes Rei? Please read and review


Isolation can be mended  
  
"Well, aren't you going to say something, wonder girl?" mocked Asuka.   
Standing in the presence of about a dozen fans, Asuka was standing behind the first child teasing her as usual. However, the first child made no effort to reply or to defend herself. She merely stood where she was, ignoring the second child's remarks but at the same time she could hear every teasing comment directed at her.   
  
"Well, come on doll, speak!" ordered Asuka, her hands by her hips, obviously enjoying making fun of her classmate.  
"I am not a doll," stated Rei finally, in her usual expressionless voice.  
"Well, at least that's an improvement," smirked Asuka, clearly satisfied with the attention from her peers on her.  
  
"Why do you call me that?" asked Rei in a tone barely audible.  
"Because you are!" shouted Asuka. "You always do what you're told to, never complaining. You just accept commands. You don't care what people say about you. You're nothing but a doll!" yelled Asuka, attempting to test the first child's limit.  
  
Rei did not even try to respond to Asuka, but nor did she walk away from the second child.  
At that moment, the three stooges, Shinji, Kensuke and Touji walked by. Noticing the crowd, they decided to see what was going on. As they neared the crowd, Touji recognised Asuka's voice.   
  
"Its just Asuka," stated Touji, turning around and walking away from the crowd, not caring who Asuka was yelling at, followed by Shinji. Kensuke was about to follow when a girl moved away and he saw the victim of Asuka.  
  
"Hey wait!" shouted Kensuke to his two friends.   
"What Kensuke?" asked Touji impatiently, slowly turning around to face his companion.  
"I think its Rei," called out Kensuke, adjusting his glasses.  
"Ayanami?" exclaimed Shinji, turning around and sure enough, in the centre of the circle of crowd was Asuka yelling at Rei.  
  
Even from where they were standing, the three boys could hear every word Asuka was saying.   
"You have no life. You dolls just laze around, doing whatever you are instructed to do," yelled Asuka, directing every word to the blue haired child in front of her.  
  
Shinji's face slowly yet clearly turned into a frown and his fists clenched by his side.  
Kensuke and Touji both sensed their friend's discomfort, but they decided to keep their mouths shut. They stood away from the crowd of spectators, continuing to listen to Asuka's constant yelling and at times, Rei's short responses.   
  
"I don't even know why you were chosen as one of the pilots, you stupid doll," called out Asuka.  
"I am not a doll," repeated Rei.  
"Yes you are! To be a pilot you have to be like me. Glamorous and intelligent," grinned Asuka.  
"Asuka," whispered Shinji in a low and almost dangerous tone.  
  
Slowly Shinji began walking over towards the crowd surrounding the two pilots, his hands by his side, clenched into fists.  
"Hey Shinji, where're you going, man?" asked Touji trying to reach out to his friend back, but was stopped by Kensuke.  
"Don't stop him, Touji," instructed Kensuke.  
Touji peered at his friend curiously, but obeyed.  
"Shinji's in for a hell lot of trouble," murmured Touji, and even Kensuke nodded in agreement.  
  
  
Shinji become more and more annoyed with each comment Asuka said to Rei.  
"Why don't you just go back to where ever you came from. You're not welcomed here. You don't even have any friends," shouted Asuka, looking down at the first child.  
  
"I'm her friend!" yelled a loud voice from behind the crowd. The voice was firm, but not harsh.  
Asuka turned around to see who had just said that and even Rei turned around. The large crowd moved aside and there standing at the back of the group was the only person that would dare to yell at Asuka. Shinji Ikari.  
  
"Well well, if it isn't the almighty third child," teased Asuka.  
"Leave Ayanami alone, Asuka," exclaimed Shinji not taking his eyes off the arrogant and egotistical second child.  
"Why? Have you come to defend her, Shinji? How very noble of you," smirked Asuka.  
The crowd could not resist a slight giggle, resulting in Shinji getting even more irritated than he already is.  
  
"Just leave her alone, Asuka," repeated Shinji in a low voice.  
"And what are you going to do, if I don't?" questioned Asuka.  
Shinji and Asuka stared at each other, neither one saying anything or making a move. Their conversation was interrupted; much to Shinji's relieve, when the school bell rang.  
"All students please go to their class for first period," said the announcer.  
"We'll finish this later, Shinji," glared Asuka, before walking off, followed by everyone else.   
  
The only people still standing were Rei, Shinji, Touji and Kensuke.  
Rei and Shinji stared at each other, before Rei turned and walked off to class. Shinji merely stood and watch Rei disappear from his sight.  
  
"Shinji? Shinji!" yelled Kensuke.  
"Huh?" muttered Shinji, snapping back into reality.  
"Come on, man. We've got to go or we'll be late for class," shouted for Touji, already running back to class.  
"Yeah, come on, Shinji!" yelled Kensuke, running after Touji.  
"Hey wait up you guys!" called Shinji as he ran off to catch up with his two friends. Shinji looked back once more at where Asuka had insulted Rei, before running off to class.  
  
During all of class, Shinji tried to avoid Asuka as much as possible and class seemed to last double the usual length. Shinji was so thankful when it was finally lunchtime. Sitting in class with Asuka constantly glaring at him was not a very comfortable feeling at all. As soon as lunchtime started, Asuka sat with her group of fans in a corner of the room, sharing jokes and gossips.   
The way that Asuka praises herself in front of her peers to boost up her popularity disgusted the three stooges, especially Shinji.  
  
"I feel so sorry for you, Shinji, having to live with someone like Asuka," said Touji sympathetically.  
"Yeah, how do you put up with her Shinji?" asked Kensuke.  
"I don't have a choice," replied Shinji truthfully, looking away from the so-called, popular group.  
  
Shinji noticed that Rei's chair was empty.  
"Hey, where's Rei?" asked Shinji worriedly, usually Rei is always in her seat at lunchtime, staring out the window or reading, but today she wasn't at her desk.   
  
"I don't know. Haven't seen her since this morning," replied Kensuke.  
"You've got a thing for Rei don't you, Shinji?" asked Touji smirking at his friend.  
"I do not! Why would you think that?" questioned Shinji embarrassed by Touji's comment.  
"You always look at her and you care about her so much," replied Kensuke.  
"That's only cause she's a friend," Shinji quickly replied.  
"And if you don't like her then why did you defend her this morning?" asked Kensuke, obviously ignoring Shinji's answer to Touji's comment.  
"Because…because I don't want her to get teased," responded Shinji, but quickly regretted what he said.  
"Aha! I knew it! You do like her, don't you?" teased Kensuke.  
"I don't!" exclaimed Shinji.  
"Oh, come on, admit it, Shinji," pestered Touji.  
"And if you don't like her then why are you blushing so much? Your face looks as red as Asuka's hair, Shinji?" teased Touji, covering his mouth to stop himself from laughing.   
  
Shinji immediately put his hands up to his cheeks and he could feel his cheeks burning up. He turned and faced the glass window and saw that he was indeed blushing furiously. Shinji turned back to his two friends who were trying to act innocent.   
"I'm going outside," said Shinji plainly, still blushing.   
  
As soon as he stepped outside the classroom, Shinji could hear Touji and Kensuke burst out laughing and high-fifing each other.   
Shinji walked out the corridor with his head hanging down to try and hide his red face. He walked around the school for a while until he had calmed down and was certain that his face had returned to his usual skin colour.   
  
As Shinji neared the green grass field, he spotted someone sitting against the large oak tree. Curiously, he peered at the figure and saw that it was the first child. Rei Ayanami.   
Shinji noticed that Rei was not reading like she always did. Instead she was staring at the pond, daydreaming.   
  
"Rei?" whispered Shinji to himself.  
Quietly, Shinji walked over towards Rei.  
"Rei!" shouted Shinji.  
  
Rei turned and saw Shinji walking over towards her. She noticed that Touji and Kensuke were not accompanying him.  
"Ikari?" whispered Rei.  
"What are you doing here?" asked Shinji in a kind and caring way, as he stood beside the tree  
Rei did not bother to answer, instead she just gazed back down at the pond.  
  
"Can I join you?" asked Shinji nervously.  
Rei looked up and after a moment moved aside to allow room for Shinji to sit down. Slowly, Shinji sat down beside Rei.  
They both stared at the group of gold fishes swimming in the pond. Sometimes Shinji would peer at Rei both would then quickly look away.   
  
They observed a small gold fish swimming alone by itself, while the others swam together, avoiding that one fish.   
"Do you ever feel like that, Ikari?" asked Rei, breaking the silence between them, though she was still looking down at the pond.  
Shinji looked at Rei.  
  
"Do you ever feel like that one fish? Isolated and alone?" explained Rei.  
"Well, not anymore. I used to when I first came here. I had no friends and no one cared. But now I have Touji and Kensuke, so I'm very happy," answered Shinji truthfully. "Why'd you ask, Rei?" asked Shinji facing his friend.  
  
"I was wondering, if only I am like that fish, always alone," whispered Rei. "It's as if there is an AT field around myself and no one can near me, for they fear me. I am isolated from everyone, from everything. Asuka's right, I don't belong here," stated Rei.  
"What are you talking about Rei?" asked Shinji.  
This was not like Rei to be so open.   
"You do belong here. Just because Asuka and her group don't care about you, doesn't mean everybody does. I don't," comforted Shinji.  
Shinji's last words caught Rei's attention. She looked up at Shinji.  
  
"Ikari, tell me why," asked Rei.  
"Why what?" questioned a confused Shinji.  
"Why you defended me this morning," repeated Rei.  
"Because I care. I don't want my friends to be upset and I'll do anything to help them," replied Shinji smiling at Rei.   
  
Rei stared at Shinji, not knowing what to say or do. No one has ever treated her the way Ikari does.  
"Rei, I've got to go to class now. I'll see you there," said Shinji standing up.  
Rei nodded in response.   
"And don't forget, that I'm always here for you," reminded Shinji.  
"Thank you, Ikari," thanked Rei.  
Shinji grinned and walked off to class.  
  
Rei watched as Shinji left.  
'Thank you? Those are words of thanks, words of gratitude. Why did I thank Ikari?' wondered Rei.  
'Because he accepts me for who I am, because he cares,' answered her conscience.  
'What is this emotion that I am feeling?' questioned Rei.  
'Is it happiness?' she asked herself.  
'Yes, and it is a sense of belonging as well as friendship,' her conscience once again replied.  
"Friendship?" whispered Rei, looking up to see Shinji talking to the class teacher.  
"Yes, friendship," confirmed Rei.  
  
As Rei Ayanami walked back to class, she discovered one thing, true friendship cannot be made if you do not first accept yourself, true friendship can only exist if you are willing to accept both yourself and others.   
  
**************  
This is my first ever NGE fan fiction. I hope that you all found it enjoyable and I plead that you review it to let me know if it is worth continuing or not. Thanks. 


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